_________________________________________________
We are a death scream, a city in the cracks.

Iwaku was a dream and we have fallen into nightmare. All that is left in the darkness is the Mad King and the fragments of his city.

It is a world of rain and night eternal. Those who remain survive on scraps, the sacred bread of the Mad King's priesthood. And any who would defy him are sport for the ISAF, the undead soldiers who prowl the streets.

The people are forced to live the darkest fairytale, divided into seven groups according to their worth. The Mentors, the Heralds, the Allies, the Shadows, the Tricksters, the Soulmates and the Guardians. Each man, woman and child plays their part and does not dare to stray beyond their role.

The Cycle is flawed, a broken machine.
The Hero will not come. The Saviour's Page will not be written.

I... the Angel Asmodeus... will stand as witness to these days. And in the death scream shall I linger, till the final darkness takes us all.

Most citizens of Iwaku are assigned the Ally class. Their role from cradle to grave is to serve and assist. They are the factory workers, the waiting staff, the taxi drivers and construction workers. Ambition is frowned upon, as is self-serving behaviour. The allies are encouraged to adopt a group-mentality, whereby they work with a close group of friends and hang out with them in their spare time. And any ally who spends too much time alone is watched by the State Police for signs of heresy. </td></tr><tr><td>SHADOWS

In contrast, the smallest group of citizens are the Shadows. They are given the antagonising jobs of the Empire - jobs that bring them into deliberate conflict with the people. They are the drug dealers, the tax collectors, the gang leaders and the corrupt politicians. These individuals have a legal right to act as obstacles, and providing they don't go too far they are tolerated by the state. Shadows are essential in enforcing unpopular legislation and keeping people in their place. They enjoy great power at the cost of their popularity, and many of them are happy with this trade-off.</td></tr><tr><td>MENTORS

The teachers, wise men and instructors of Iwaku are known as the Mentors. Their job is to guide and empower others, while at all times never overstepping the mark with their own actions. The Mentor group comprises some of the oldest and most intelligent citizens of the realm.</td></tr><tr><td>SOULMATES

Because they are believed so dangerous, the Soulmates are the most regulated group in Iwaku. 90% are controlled through the Convent, who make sure they are properly groomed and placed in the correct occupations. About three quarters are female and all are trained to be pure, level-headed and conscientious. They go on to serve as advisors, artistic muses, TV presenters, and healers. An unregulated Soulmate can cause untold disruption, such is their power to influence great changes. The last unregulated Soulmate, Simica, was responsible for the madness of King Gabriel, and Paorou is resolved not to make the same mistake. </td></tr><tr><td>TRICKSTERS

While the Soulmates are the most reverred, the Tricksters are the most despised. In Paorou's city, comedy and randomness are seen as the lowest of the low. Anyone deemed a Trickster is denied all but the most basic of human rights. Tricksters are actors, entertainers and shapeshifters, the majority of them employed in the sex industry. They live on the scraps of the kingdom, surviving by their own good cheer and the charity of the few who dare to pity them. Like jesters they are treated as lesser forms of life, even if their comedy carries hidden wisdom.</td></tr><tr><td>HERALDS

Similar to Mentors, the Heralds are information-gatherers and dispersers. Their job is to proclaim new events and recount the tales of old. From gossiping housewives to media anchormen, the Heralds are simply there to spread the word. They do not teach, as Mentors do, but simply store and convey information. Many have jobs as historians, but most are bureaucrats dealing with car licences, tax records, office-work and citizen promotions.</td></tr><tr><td>GUARDIANS

Guardians are the second largest group of the citizenry. Like Allies they protect and support others, many of them being security staff or office clerks. And like the Shadows they are placed in positions to obstruct people, tripping up the unwary and blocking processes. The Guardians are checks and boundaries to other citizens, making sure they do not stray outside of their roles. Many of them form the police force and the inquisition and are raised to be keepers of the order.</td></tr></table>

THE POWER STREAMS(Move your mouse to reveal the content)THE POWER STREAMS (open)THE POWER STREAMS (close)

Everyone in Iwaku draws power from the following 4 types:

CONFLUENCE
Anything based on science and realism.​

Confluence is a power-source based on the laws of physics and narrative - two systems which heavily control the story-world that is Iwaku. By "laws of narrative", this means the realistic telling of a story. Confluence stops unexplained things and random events from ruining the plot-line, and ensures total realism.

The weakness of Confluence is that you are subject to that same rules of realism and can often fall foul of them.

The greatest user of this power was Asmodeus, who was able to create an area of effect that removed all unnatural powers from his enemies. He was also unable to be defeated by anyone who had not suffered and earned the right to be a true hero. But in the end it destroyed him, as his own Confluence powers eroded the angelic powers that had made him mighty.

Examples: Any realistic firearm and combat training; Any non-magical biological ability for your race that can be explained by scientific laws; Anything that enforces cause and effect.​

REALITY-BENDING
Anything that can't be explained.​

If Confluence represents the story, then Reality-Bending represents the re-writing of the story. Reality-Bending is where things happen without logic or cause. It is similar to Chaos Theory. The power comes from sheer will and random desire.

The weakness of Reality-Bending is similar to Confluence, in that you can become the victim of your own powers if you let the chaos get out of hand.

The greatest user of this power was Paorou-Sama, who was able to save parts of the old Iwaku and keep them behind the Mirror as the Realm of Insanity. He now rules there according to nothing but his own whims, but suffers from the fact that he cannot exist beyond the Mirror because of the amount of Reality-Bending he has performed.

Examples: Anything that seems to come out of nowhere, like returning from the dead, summoning bizarre objects, making things happen without reason. Or exploiting narrative rules, such as strolling out of a building because explosions only happen when the hero is running from it.​

DREAMWEAVING
Anything that uses magical power sources.​

Dreamweaving is more along the lines of traditional magic. It is a power drawn from realms beyond the physical world, including the elemental planes, the realm of the dead, the shadow planes, heaven, hell, past, future, and so forth. A Dreamweaver must tap that power and draw it into his own world before shaping it into something of use.

The weakness of Dreamweaving is that it requires a link to the other realm. This link can be severed, hijacked or go haywire if your channeling is disturbed.

The greatest user of this power was Rory, who was a master of time-travel, dream-walking and invocation. His greatest feat was summoning the Goddess of Iwaku into mortal form - a deed for which he earned his place as King of the Realm.

If Dreamweaving is the power from beyond, then SoulArts is the power from WITHIN. It is based upon the soul, the powers that are deep within the essence of who you are. The lesser known of the styles, SoulArt powers are often channeled through emotions and desires, and can range from empathic healing to hateful telekinesis. They can also manifest in Soul-Blades: weapons that literally embody a user's soul.

The weakness of SoulArts is that it comes completely from your own body, so if you are injured or drugged or unconscious, those powers can be interrupted. It is also based upon strong desires, so your emotions must be in tune with what you want.

The greatest user of SoulArts was Porg, who was able to tap a huge range of powers from within his soul, helping him to achieve feats of heroism according to his heart's desire.

I'm good with both! I can lead or follow and I'm equally okay with either. (Although it can change depending on the scene too!)

Favorite Genres:

Adventure stories! They can be fantasy, modern, sci-fi, all kinds! Give me some good world travel stories and I'm all over it! I also enjoy romance stories and even though I tend to play females I love playing gay men.

Genre You DON'T Like:

Smut. It's not that I dislike it, I just can't write it out, I'm better at just writing smut scenes by myself.

Well, it's similar in theme to Reign of Asmodeus. But I'm not the ruler of this place. The City belongs to Paorou, an unseen and mad king who dwells in the heart of the city. None of the Mythos characters have any set places (unless they really want to).

I'm thinking Paorou rules with the Bread Cult and the zombified ISAF, whilst the Shapeshifters are a minority slum group. The Cbox is the local bar and there's a Private School for beautiful women known as the Convent.

Most of the citizens are forced to register as one of the following 7 classes:

Spoiler(Move your mouse to the spoiler area to reveal the content)Show SpoilerHide Spoiler

ALLIES
Most citizens of Iwaku are assigned the Ally class. Their role from cradle to grave is to serve and assist. They are the factory workers, the waiting staff, the taxi drivers and construction workers. Ambition is frowned upon, as is self-serving behaviour. The allies are encouraged to adopt a group-mentality, whereby they work with a close group of friends and hang out with them in their spare time. And any ally who spends too much time alone is watched by the State Police for signs of heresy.

SHADOWS
In contrast, the smallest group of citizens are the Shadows. They are given the antagonising jobs of the Empire - jobs that bring them into deliberate conflict with the people. They are the drug dealers, the tax collectors, the gang leaders and the corrupt politicians. These individuals have a legal right to act as obstacles, and providing they don't go too far they are tolerated by the state. Shadows are essential in enforcing unpopular legislation and keeping people in their place. They enjoy great power at the cost of their popularity, and many of them are happy with this trade-off.

MENTORS
The teachers, wise men and instructors of Iwaku are known as the Mentors. Their job is to guide and empower others, while at all times never overstepping the mark with their own actions. The Mentor group comprises some of the oldest and most intelligent citizens of the realm.

SOULMATES
Because they are believed so dangerous, the Soulmates are the most regulated group in all Iwaku. 90% of them are now controlled through the Convent, who make sure they are properly groomed and placed in the correct positions of power. About three quarters of them are female and both men and women alike are trained to be pure, level-headed and conscientious. They go on to serve as advisors, artistic muses, TV presenters, spokesmen and medical staff. An unregulated Soulmate can cause untold disruption, such is their power to influence great changes. The last unregulated Soulmate, Simica, was responsible for the madness of King Gabriel, and Asmodeus is resolved not to make the same mistake. The Convent itself is one of the most secure places in Iwaku, as there is no shortage of young Romeo-types trying to break in and get a look at the gorgeous females within.

TRICKSTERS
While the Soulmates are the most reverred, the Tricksters are the most despised. In Asmodeus's Empire, comedy and randomness are seen as the lowest of the low. Anyone deemed a Trickster is denied all but the most basic of human rights. Tricksters are actors, entertainers and shapeshifters, the majority of them employed in the sex industry. They live on the scraps of the kingdom, surviving by their own good cheer and the charity of the few who dare to pity them. Like jesters they are treated as lesser forms of life, even if their comedy carries hidden wisdom.

HERALDS
Similar to Mentors, the Heralds are information-gatherers and dispersers. Their job is to proclaim new events and recount the tales of old. From gossiping housewives to media anchormen, the Heralds are simply there to spread the word. They do not teach, as Mentors do, but simply store and convey information. Many have jobs as historians, but most are bureaucrats dealing with car licences, tax records, office-work and citizen promotions.

GUARDIANS
Guardians are the second largest group of the citizenry. Like Allies they protect and support others, many of them being security staff or office clerks. And like the Shadows they are placed in positions to obstruct people, tripping up the unwary and blocking processes. The Guardians are checks and boundaries to other citizens, making sure they do not stray outside of their roles. Many of them form the police force and the Inquisition and are raised to be keepers of the order.

But that's all I've thought of so far. We can make the rest up as we roleplay.

So how are newcomers to the city dealt with? I figure that they are quickly assigned whatever class seems to fit them the best, and form the lowest class of society, as they have no backing to start from.

For the ISAF...I dunno, I expect that they enforce curfews, and work like your general squad of extreme police state officers. Don't get caught shoplifting, honey, or that man in the gasmask will shoot you. Or worse.

Something tells me that the weather for the city is a constant twilight around street level, with only the tallest, most glamorous skyscrapers able to pierce the smog and glitter in the sun.

Any objections?

There's another thing I have in mind for my MASTER PLAN, which is that the food for this megalopolis is, for the most part, mass-produced with magic by the bread cult in a few locations. Filthy Stinkin' Rich people might have their own generators. It's an excuse for there being absolutely no open farmland anywhere, and I'm planning on using it for some serious stuff later.

More options

Yeah, I'm figuring the Temples of the Bread Cult are placed strategically around the city and ration out bread to the starving citizens. It's Paorou's way of keeping control over the masses.

I didn't picture there being any sunlight at all, since I've implied that this city has "fallen between the cracks of reality", so it exists in a kind of abyss.

I also didn't picture there being that many "newcomers", so to speak. I wanted to imply that most of us have always been here, working in jobs, living in apartments - a kind of purgatory where we can't remember how we got here or how to get out. I'm drawing inspiration from things like Dark City and Film Noir, where the protagonists "know" the town and its history. Plus it reflects our current online personas - we've all been in Iwaku for a while now and have some kind of status. That's why Asmodeus knows the city intimately, despite having just "fallen from heaven".

Well, what I was figuring was that this counterpart to Archy would show up, find out how sucky everything is, and decide to just destroy the entire city. This works a bit better if we see what led her to that decision, I think.

More options

Yeah, I'm figuring the Temples of the Bread Cult are placed strategically around the city and ration out bread to the starving citizens. It's Paorou's way of keeping control over the masses.

I didn't picture there being any sunlight at all, since I've implied that this city has "fallen between the cracks of reality", so it exists in a kind of abyss.

I also didn't picture there being that many "newcomers", so to speak. I wanted to imply that most of us have always been here, working in jobs, living in apartments - a kind of purgatory where we can't remember how we got here or how to get out. I'm drawing inspiration from things like Dark City and Film Noir, where the protagonists "know" the town and its history. Plus it reflects our current online personas - we've all been in Iwaku for a while now and have some kind of status. That's why Asmodeus knows the city intimately, despite having just "fallen from heaven".

The shadows works for the Empire(state), and recieve what power they get over a fraction of the community by the Empire. How would this work unless your character would be a closet-anarchist looking to make an outbreak?

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